Strength from the Top of the Mountain

Update from The Push to the South Pole

On January 17, 2012, for the first time in history, Grant Korgan, an adaptive athlete with a spinal cord injury, will literally “push” himself 100 miles (or 250,00o pushes) across the frozen landscape and his limits to the most inhospitable place on the planet – the South Pole.

The group is currently on track and battling the cold and extreme conditions. With temperatures in the 30-45º below zero range, cold injuries are the biggest concern. Since Grant’s circulation is limited below his knees, the group is carefully monitoring the temperature of his toes. Listen to this recent satellite phone call in which Grant discusses the extremes and what happened when the temperature of his toes dipped 9º below freezing. Click on the photo below to listen.

Grant Korgan, click on image to hear audio

Sounds like the conditions are pretty gnarly–no animals exist this close to the South Pole, the groups members must either be moving or inside the tent in order to avoid serious injury due to the cold temperatures. These guys are are real deal and Grant Korgan is inspiring.